Dr. Oz Names Barramundi a ‘Superfood We All Must Eat Now’

Oprah medical guru and TV host, Dr. Oz, named Barramundi fish one of his ‘5 Super Foods To Eat Now’ for its anti-aging, immune boosting and cancer fighting properties. Read about it on Dr. Oz’s website.

“If the Barramundi fish were a human, he would be a tree-hugging, salad-loving vegetarian. The Barramundi, hailing from the coast of Australia <and parts of Southeast Asia>, eschews his fellow fish, dining on plankton instead. That means he doesn’t load up on mercury-packed smaller fish and has extremely low levels of the toxin, which is especially important for pregnant women.

"Free of mercury, but full of heart- and brain-healthy omega-3s, the Barramundi, which is becoming more popular in the US, is a shoe-in for one of the top 5 superfoods. Bonus: the white meat is light, flaky and delicious.”

Dr. Oz recommends Barramundi and other superfoods as part of his Ultimate Countdown. Says Oz. "We must all begin to eat these foods. We should stop eating food that makes us fatigued, bloated and overweight… this does not mean eating less, this just means eating smarter!

I was absolutely thrilled to see Barramundi listed as one of ‘5 Superfoods To Eat Now’ on the recent episode of the Dr. Oz show.

As the CEO of Australis, the Company that is spearheading the introduction of Barramundi in the US, I wholeheartedly agree that this fish is a superstar for its flavor, health benefits and eco-friendly attributes. I did want to make you aware of two inaccuracies that should be incorporated into any future mentions:

1. “Barramundi is a vegetarian that eschews his fellow fish”

A more accurate statement would be that barramundi can eat a largely vegetarian diet. It is actually carnivorous by nature, but we selected barramundi in part because of its ability to utilize grains in its feed (which is important for sustainability) while synthesizing high levels of omega-3’s. This allows us to bring health and sustainability together in a powerful package. We feed our barra a largely vegetarian diet (80% plant-based, 20% fish-based), which is substantially less than the 50% or more fish meal and oil that is typical for a farmed salmon diet. By significantly minimizing the use of fish-based ingredients in its feed, our barramundi is free of detectable mercury, PCB’s and other contaminants.

2. “Barramundi has higher omega-3 levels than salmon”

A more accurate statement would be that Australis barramundi has omega-3 levels comparable to wild Coho salmon. Our barramundi have 833 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per 5-oz serving, which is comparable to wild Coho salmon (at 900 mg per serving) and unheard of in a mild-flavored white fish. Unlike tilapia and many other farmed fish, we also get the oil balance just right for optimum human health. A recent study(Weaver et al, 2008)showed that tilapia and catfish have 11 times as much Omega-6 as Omega-3, which makes their omega-6 level comparable to that of hamburger (and therefore may actually be inflammatory while reducing the benefits of omega-3’s that are there) , whereas our Barramundi offers the ideal 1:1 ratio of omega-3 to 6.

Again, we are thrilled that Dr. Oz recognized barramundi’s health benefits and hope your viewers will give this delicious and healthy (but still largely undiscovered) fish a try!

Feel free to let me know if there is anything else we can do to assist you.